Skomargraph

Skomargraph was released in November 2000, a year after Stylus' debut CD, The Last Seaweed Collecting Hut at Freshwater West. On the surface, Dafydd Morgan kept the same ingredients: post-rock guitar riffs, analog synth sweeps, textural electronics, and field recordings. In fact, he refined his style and offered a much better opus. His control over soundbites and his creativity with synthesizers have grown considerably. A few listeners may miss the concept that held the second half of the previous album together. For those, Morgan has included "Gwymon," a live performance from inside the hut he immortalized in 1999. Instead of weaving field recordings and electronic material, this time he improvised on battery-powered keyboards, the wind rushing through the hut providing real-time field recordings, so to speak. But the track is far from being the best of the album (it's actually the weakest). More atmospheric, this album also shows more homogeneity -- the more experimental and irritating synth tracks found on Last Seaweed have been avoided this time. What remains is a collection of dreamy, fragile pieces that fans of Stars of the Lid will probably love. Highlights include the two "Little Furznip" tracks, "Euphotic," and "(+1)/(-1)," the latter featuring Christine Vidoudez' voice. The Last Seaweed Collecting Hut at Freshwater West was perfect to draw the attention of the media and the public, but it is with Skomargraph that Stylus' art came to maturity. ~ François Couture|